Book Review: Twisted Reason

 Twisted Reason is the fourth in Diane Fanning’s series starring Lucinda Pierce. Lucinda, a homicide detective, is dedicated to her job and to the people who need her help. She’s also used to the looks she often gets when people see her scarred face. Kirkus Reviews called Lucinda Pierce a “complex heroine” and I would agree. Because she has so many facets to her life, Lucinda comes across as three-dimensional and as the kind of detective you’d want on your side.

Here’s the cover blurb describing the case that Lucinda Pierce is working in Twisted Reason:

 When a missing elderly man shows up dead on his son’s front porch, homicide detective Lucinda Pierce isn’t certain if she’s investigating a murder or one of the strangest natural deaths she’s ever encountered. Then, the search for a missing five-year-old girl leads to the discovery of the bodies of two more senior citizens. The investigation brings Lucinda into contact with the adult children of missing persons with dementia. This then resurrects the trauma of the death of her own parents causing Lucinda to question her motivation for continuing to search for answers when there are no definitive indications of homicide. A failed abduction attempt leads Lucinda to a man who did all the wrong things for al the right reasons and to a strange little Wonderland build with little money and lots of imagination.

Twisted Reason starts with a report of a missing elderly person – someone with dementia. This doesn’t set off loud bells since those with Alzheimer’s often wander. Lucinda, however, soon uncovers more missing elderly, some recent reports, some old. She’s disturbed by this and begins putting the pieces together, trying to see how all of the cases could possibly be related and trying to determine what could be simply cases of lapses of memory or wandering and what could be something more sinister. As bodies are found, she realizes that the lives of the remaining missing elderly may very well depend on her finding them before it’s too late.

Diane Fanning is an accomplished writer. Her books flow and she covers all the bases and doesn’t leave threads hanging. In addition to her Lucinda Pierce mystery series, she writes the Molly Mullet mysteries, and is the author of bestselling true-crime books. She’s also an Edgar Award Finalist.

This is not the first Lucinda Pierce mystery I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. I like reading strong female leads who are multi-dimensional. I also like that as strong as Lucinda is, she still cares and can empathize with the families who need her help. Lucinda has flaws beyond her mangled face, but they are flaws like you and I have and we can, thus, identify with her.

Twisted Reason is available from Barnes and Noble and from Amazon.

I give Diane Fanning’s Twisted Reason a Hel-of-a-Writer.

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FTC Disclaimer: The author sent me this book, but that did not influence my review. One thing that did influence my reading is that Diane wrote on a topic that is not often used in fiction – Alzheimer’s. She delved into how the disease affects families and those suffering from it. In addition, she presents multiple sides. Most families are devastated when a father or mother go missing, but not all. Some Alzheimer’s patients are so lost in the tangles of the disease that they accept what has happened to them. Some remember and struggle to go home. Alzheimer’s is a heartbreaking disease and I’m glad Diane addressed it. I’m also glad that she did it in a mystery, a fiction book that is not preachy or sad. While there are parts of it that inform, those parts are subtle. I wrote about it here because Alzheimer’s runs in my family. Other reviewers, I’m sure, will focus on what a good read Twisted Reason is and what an interesting lead Lucinda is.